Escaped NJ psych patient with history of violence captured

A man who escaped from the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital on Thursday while on a grounds pass has been captured.

Ewing police, who were helping state Human Services Police search for Kevin Deeavega 24, of East Brunswick posted on their Facebook page that Deeavega was taken into custody early Friday in West Windsor.

West Windsor police spokesman Sgt. Mark Lee said Deeavega was found by K9 Officer Zicha and his partner K9 Hodge just after 11 p.m. on Thursday night on the access road Route 1 south to the Overlook Center. Department of Health spokeswoman Dawn Thomas said Human Services police went to pick up Deeavega after being notified by WWPD.

Thomas said it appears Deeavega walked from the hospital in Ewing to West Windsor, a distance of about 15 miles.

Deeavega was given a grounds pass at 11:30 a.m. Thursday and was supposed to return at 12:15, but never did, Ewing Police said.

Ewing Police said they were notified at 2:30 p.m., they said. Thomas said hospital staff searched the grounds before police were called.

Delavega "does have a tendency of violent behavior and is wanted out of Philadelphia, PA and Delaware County for aggravated assault charges," Ewing police said.

Statements by police haven't yet discussed any security measures that may have been in place at the hospital.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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